CINI UK newsletter

FIGHTING MALNUTRITION IN INDIA

With the whole world focused on the need to Make Poverty History, it is crucial to remember that malnutrition and chronic ill health are important barriers to families escaping economic exclusion. They make it difficult for children to get the most out of the education on offer to them, hard for adults to earn a steady income, and the cost of treatment puts an enormous strain on limited family resources.
We are therefore delighted to announce that following a black-tie dinner hosted by the Lord Slynn of Hadley at the House of Lords on June 7th, £30,000 of the £37,513 needed was pledged to CINI UK for its Fighting Malnutrition in India Appeal.
Anna Taylor, Director of CINI UK, said "We were overwhelmed by the generosity of the people who attended the dinner. They have shown their outrage that people are still suffering from malnutrition in 2005. One in ten children in India die before the age of five, mainly for reasons linked to malnutrition. Projects like the one in Bishnupur are vital if we are to prevent the ill health and deaths that can be caused by poor nutrition."
The project will help families break out of the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health by providing much needed nutritional and health services. In particular, CINI healthworkers will focus their efforts on helping pregnant mothers and children up to the age of two, as this is the most critical period for laying down the foundations for a healthy life.
Malnutrition affects 30% of India’s population, with proportionally more women than men affected. In families where there is not enough to go around, women often survive on a very poor diet - or go without. High rates of female malnutrition contribute directly to millions of babies being born each year weighing less than the recommended minimum of 2.5kg. These babies are essentially born malnourished.
If you would like to know more about the aims and objectives of the project in Bishnupur, West Bengal, please look on our website at www.ciniuk.org or phone 020 7358 0309.

CINI TO THE RESCUE OF TSUNAMI VICTIMS

Fishermen from the 3 families that benefited from a boat donated by CINI UK

In January, CINI launched and emergency appeal to help people affected by the tsunami disaster.
Since then, with the help of CINI staff, and volunteers, lead by Dr Chaudhuri, and thanks to the money raised, the charity has distributed more than 15,000 essential family kits, each one containing vital cooking utensils, water containers and steel boxes with locks for valuables in the Andaman Islands.
The charity has also helped fishermen re-build their huts and placed orders with local boat manufacturers for 90 fibreglass boats in Tamil Nadu.

The boat pictured on the left was purchased with funds donated by CINI UK supporters and will provide enough income to support three families. A full progress report on CINI’s work to help the tsunami survivors is available by emailing info@ciniuk.org or phoning 020 7358 0309

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

The celebrations to mark CINI ‘s 31st anniversary, on 1st February, which I attended with Anna Taylor, CINI UK Director, gave Dr Samir Chaudhuri the opportunity to tell a packed audience about CINI’s impressive achievements in 2004. I was pleased to help introduce Anna to CINI’s projects and we toured several villages at the heart of the Adopt a Mother Programme, spent an afternoon at CINI Asha, home to many street children, and visited the new voluntary counselling centre for HIV/AIDS victims.
The fundraising dinner at the House of Lords in June, masterminded by Anna, was a resounding success. We are now working on our next venture: a gripping Indian musical, Maya. I urge you all to come and enjoy what promises to be an unforgettable evening.
Last, but far from least, I am delighted to announce that Mrs Cherie Blair has kindly agreed to become a Patron of CINI UK and I am extremely grateful for her support for the cause of CINI.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Having joined the charity last September, I visited CINI’s projects for the first time in February 2005. I saw many things during my visit that I know will always stay with me.
When you see tiny children, their bodies wasted by severe malnutrition, being treated in CINI’s Emergency Ward, you know there is vital work to be done. When you see the children overflowing into the corridors at CINI’s night school in Kolkata’s red light district, you can feel the strong desire of these children for a better life. When you hear of an HIV+ woman’s daughters being threatened by their neighbours for washing in the communal pond, you realise that prejudice and a lack of understanding compound the medical problems faced by people living with HIV/AIDS.
CINI is tackling some of the most fundamental problems facing poor women and children in India. I hope that I will be able to make some small contribution through my work for CINI in the UK. If you would like to help, please do get in touch with me by ringing 020 7358 0309 or emailing info@ciniuk.org

OPERA SINGER RUNS IN WOMEN’S CHALLENGE

World-renowned Indian soprano Patricia Rozario will hit the ground running in a 5km charity event in a bid to raise funds and awareness for CINI UK.
"A year ago my husband and I did a song recital to raise funds for CINI at St John’s, Smith Square. It’s a charity I want to continue to help" said Patricia. This is why she has signed up to do the Women’s Challenge in Hyde Park this September with 25,000 other women, many of whom are running for good causes.
Patricia wants people wishing to help CINI to take inspiration from what she is doing and join her by running, walking or skipping along the 5km course.
She said: "If people like running, I would recommend it very highly because 5km is not far to run, and if you train well it’s an enjoyable experience. But even if you’d rather walk, it’s enormous fun to be taking part in an event with so many other women who are raising funds for charities. For information on how to sign up for the Women’s Challenge call 020 7358 0309.

MAYA – MUSICAL SPECTACULAR BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

CINI UK is delighted to announce a special one off performance of the hugely successful musical production, MAYA, which played to a full house at the Bloomsbury Theatre in 2003 and received critical acclaim. The artists involved are now planning an exclusive show to raise funds for CINI on the 12th November.
The charity performance will be staged and produced using the combined artistic talents involved with performing arts company Rabishikha - The School of Tagore Music and Indian Classical Music.
The production is inspired by modern and classical music, dance and drama, particularly by the songs of Bengali cultural icon, Rabindranath Tagore.
MAYA is a thought provoking love story challenging the audience on many different levels. The musical is the artistic brainchild Dr Amit Biswas, by day psychiatrist, and by night writer, dancer and artistic director.
Pulling together Amit’s love of music, dance and drama, MAYA has been created as thea platform from which to present his personal mission to take the music of Tagore out of the ‘classical Indian music ghetto’ and bring it to a wider audience. At the same time, he has written a script that challenges the audience’s assumptions about mental illness.
"I see the discriminations against mentally ill patients every day. MAYA aims to address the widespread stigma about mental disorder." Amit commented.
By writing a story around the trials and tribulations of two lovers, and using the music of Tagore, Amit is hoping audiences will be able to relate on a personal level to the question of what is ‘normal’.
Talking about the production he said: "It really is visually spectacular and a feast for the creative senses. MAYA fuses contemporary and classical forms of music dance and drama from East and West. Tagore songs have been used to emphasise the key themes running through out the production and enhance dramatic moments in the play, as well as providing a poetic space for the dance."

Come to MAYA on Saturday November 12th at Cadogan Hall just off Sloane Square and have a thoroughly entertaining evening. Tickets cost £10, £15, £20 or £25 and can be reserved now by sending a cheque and a note saying how many tickets are required to CINI UK, Suite 631, 456-458 Strand, London, WC2R 0DZ.

RECIPE FOR LONG LIFE

Have you considered the benefits of leaving a legacy to CINI UK in your Will? The chairman of a respected London law firm, specialising in legacies and bequests, has recently been quoted as saying "people who leave money to charity live three years longer than those who don't".
Though a direct causal relationship between leaving a charitable legacy and living longer has yet to be proved, what is proven is that making charitable donations in your Will has real tax benefits. Though you can leave money to your husband or wife tax free, on the event of the their death, tax is charged at 40% on your estate, over and above the first £275,000 – which with today’s house prices is not an uncommon estate size. In contrast to this, NO tax is charged on charitable gifts left in your will – making this one of the most cost effective ways to give to charity.

HELPING MUMS ON MOTHERS DAY

Since our Adopt A Mother for Mother’s Day campaign back in March, nearly 50 women from disadvantaged communities in India have been helped by individual donors in the UK who have set up standing orders to support our mother and child health programme.
These donors have been sent information about the economic and medical situation of the women who, thanks to their support, will receive the help they need during their pregnancies.
They will also be sent reports on the health of the babies when they are born and when they reach the age of two, enabling them to see how their money is making a practical difference on the ground.
It costs just £5 a month to provide one mother with the nutritional and healthcare support she needs to give her child the best possible start in life.

If you would like to sponsor a mother – please fill in the reply slip below and send it in to the CINI UK office.

THANK YOU

CINI UK would like to extend its warmest thanks to the corporate sponsors of the House of Lords dinner – Ashurst, Bank of Baroda, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank and Stationery Direct. Thanks are also due to Pamela Leons Marder who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes on preparations for the event.

We are also absolutely delighted to announce that Mrs Cherie Blair has kindly agreed to become a Patron of CINI UK and we are very grateful for her support for CINI’s work.

And of course, thank you to all of you who have supported CINI’s work over in the last 6 months.

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